


The Great Pretender

by Titlark



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Birthday, Depression, Gen, Highlander-inspired, Immortality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-09 21:31:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19894663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titlark/pseuds/Titlark
Summary: A little de-tour from my main work for this fandom, but yesterday I finally got to watch Highlander and got inspired, so... here you have it.After a big birthday party an old friend pays Brian a visit.





	The Great Pretender

It was a long after midnight in Los Angeles, when Brian sat down heavily on his bed.

He was tired, God, so bloody tired... At least when you're over seventy and there's a party going, majority of people can kind of understand why you want to be excused earlier than would be socially acceptable let’s say twenty years ago. Or thirty. Or forty.

He felt the familiar wave of fatigue and inner frustration wash over him. Oh no, not this again... He forced himself to get up, walk over the hotel room to the bathroom and washed his face.

It looked as he expected – grey and worn out, even more so now than usual. How do I even go on like this, he thought. Why do I even go on? What’s the point? Playing the old songs for people, over and over and over, nothing new being written, at least nothing worth mentioning, for quite some time... and it never will.   
In this moment he realized that quite clearly. There’s nothing ahead, not anymore... That’s enough, he ordered himself strictly, though he knew from experience something like an order to stop simply didn’t work.

His whole body ached. His joints, as per usual, his head from the loud party, and he felt a heartburn punishing him for the several spicy canapés he shouldn’t had eaten. He wondered if he could fall asleep today with less problems than usual, or it would be several hours of exhausted staring at the ceiling. Probably the latter, he thought gloomily, because under all that tiredness, his mind was running like a hamster wheel.

He didn’t feel like bothering himself with putting on pyjamas, he simply ripped his suit down and left it on the floor. He can pick it up tomorrow. Or whatever.

Once hidden under the blanket, he took out his phone to leave several cheery replies to his birthday wishes. He had to put on his glasses to do it. Over the years it became a second nature to use them, but today it irritated him even more. 

“Fuck this,” he mumbled, put the phone aside and reached for a pill container to take his evening dose. He looked at the small pile of tablets before he realized he forgot to get himself a glass of water.

Frustrated, he growled: “Am I getting senile now?” 

“I wouldn’t go that far, darling,” a kind voice next to him answered, “you’re just a little too much in your head again, that’s all.”

Brian wasn’t even surprised, he just accepted the glass Freddie handed to him and swallowed the pills before looking at his sudden companion.

“I wondered if you’d come,” he stated.

Freddie only smiled. He didn’t look a year over thirty or maybe even younger from Brian’s point of view. His raven hair, long once again, waved cheekily around his face and let the sparkling dark eyes stand out beautifully.

“I could’ve prepared a better welcome,” Brian continued, “but I guess this is how you want it. I didn’t even hear you come. Maybe I’m finally getting deaf as well.”

“None of that, Bri, dear,” Freddie reprimanded him, “I tried to be quiet. What kind of a surprise would it be without... well, a surprise,” he giggled. “And as for what I want,” he got serious once again, “... you know what I’d really want, Bri. To be down there, at your party, with you, Rog, Deaks, all the others – I’d even take being all grey, achy and saggy, though...” his slender fingers picked up Brian’s pill container and he examined it carefully, “... I have to admit, darling, this looks awful.”

“It’s not the only awful thing you’d have, Fred,” Brian huffed, “lucky bastard.”

“Am I?” Freddie wondered silently and took Brian’s hand. “Usually you talk differently. Once upon a time you even pitied me. I’m glad that phase is over, to be honest.”

Brian didn’t answer immediately. Silence spread over the room and lasted until Brian blurted out: “Why, Freddie?”

“Why what, darling?”

“Why did you have to leave us? Why am I the only one who knows you’re-”

“-Immortal?” Freddie interrupted him with a soft sigh. “Darling, please... we already had this talk.”

“It’s been so long, Fred. And Rog still misses you, Deaky nearly doesn’t leave his house, for God’s sake, just let me tell them-”

“No.”

“Freddie-”

“I said no!” 

Sharper tone forced Brian to stop insisting. It wasn’t the first time and for sure it’s not the last time either he asked for this.

“Do you think I wouldn’t like them to know?” Freddie continued, his voice full of emotion. “But this isn’t a thing for people to know. Can you just imagine? Even you wouldn’t know if you weren’t so bloody nosy and figured it by yourself. But I have to admit,” he nearly whispered, so soft his voice was, “part of me is glad you did. I like these visits. Brings back everything I’d leave behind already if it weren’t for you.”

Brian swallowed. “We just...”

Freddie smiled kindly and cheekily stretched one of Brian’s curls. “I know, darling.”

“You left too soon.”

“We already talked about this. Everybody around was getting older, I tried to look my part, but I couldn’t do it forever!”

Brian nodded heavily. “I know, Fred, I know...”

Freddie clapped. “Change of topic then. I refuse to get all sad and gloomy with my birthday boy. I saw you and Madam Lambert rock through quite a show. Sometimes I think he might be even better than me,” he pouted.

Brian had to smile a bit. Even under these circumstances, Freddie still needed to be reassured.

“No one is better for us than you, Freddie. We’d take you without hesitation... if we could.”

Freddie decided to take it. “Yes, I’m irreplaceable,” he winked, “but he’ll do, I admit. By the way, dear, I brought something,” now Brian noticed his friend was holding a bottle of an expensive champagne, “for us to make our little celebration.”

Brian frowned a bit. “I can’t. Already took my meds.”

“Oh, darling, don’t be-”

“I’m serious, Fred. We can still open it, though,” he smirked, knowing that shooting a cork out of a champagne bottle was always one of the small things Freddie loved.  
He wasn’t wrong today as well, because Freddie lit up and immediately prepared two tall empty glasses.

“We can still have a toast,” he decided, “who cares what you do with it afterwards.” He handed Brian the bottle. “Please, do me the honour.”

He watched attentively, wide smile on his face as Brian unsealed the bottle and opened it with a loud bang. A cork hit the ceiling fan which swayed but seemed otherwise undamaged.

“Happy Birthday, Brimi!” Freddie cheered when they filled both glasses and raised his in a toast. “Cheers to the greatest guitarist this world has even known, the best secret keeper and unrivalled badger-hugger.”

Brian laughed and clinked glasses with him. “Cheers to me.”


End file.
